Impatient

I can admit it. I’m over it. I’m ready for this to be over. I don’t want to wear a mask everywhere. I was a germaphobe before and now it's gotten worse. I want my vacation back. I want to travel. I want my life back the way it was before Covid-19. I want my kids to go to school in the fall. I don’t want to be stuck in the house forever. We've all said it. We've all thought it, but this is bigger than us. We don’t see the big picture. We don’t understand what’s happening. The numbers are wrong. The sources are skewed. We are growing impatient and it's showing. Our lack of humanity is on display. Our selfishness is sneaking out. We can’t hide behind the disguise. We want out and unfortunately many of us will suffer because of our lack of patience. Ecclesiastes reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun, and to everything there is a season. This just happens to be an uncomfortable one.

Garden

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get”.- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Despite my allergies, I loved helping my grandfather in his garden. He had such patience to dig, plant, and water. I wanted to see the results of our efforts- immediately, but that’s not how his garden worked. I wanted to eat the fruits of our labor, and I did- just not at that moment. Patience. I enjoyed all the fresh vegetables he planted each season. It took time. I loved watching them grow. I’m sure that’s how God looks at us. He watches us grow. He waters us. He prunes us and picks us. He cultivates our talents and gifts as we grow. We bloom in our own time. We are all a part of God’s garden.

Hold On

Hold on. Don't give up. You’re closer than you think. It's almost over. You can do it. Change is coming. Every now and again, we need encouragement. We need a cheerleader. We need to be reminded of our own strength. It's something about this time of year that makes us feel some kinda way. We start to think about all our unfinished projects and goals we didn't accomplish. Guess what?! It’s okay. Hold on! Things will get better. You will be motivated again. You will accomplish those goals. Just hold on!

Develop

I remember when it took days to get your pictures back. Hoping and waiting to see if that picture came out just like you wanted. It took time for them to develop. Your film would undergo a chemical process in a dark room. Interesting enough, most of us don't have the patience to develop. Yet, God is calling us to endure patiently for our gifts and talents to develop.

Development does not take place in the spotlight. Development does not take place with others. We develop when we submit to being alone in a dark place. We grow when we plant seeds in a dark place. Don't rush the process. Don't despise the wait. Don't fear the dark. It's where we develop.

Patience

One of the first attributes to describe love in 1st Corinthians is patience. Love is patient. Patience is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. So, I won't get mad when things don't go my way because "I love you." I understand that delay is not denial, and trouble doesn't last always. Love is long-suffering. So, the next time my tween gets short with me or my husband forgot to do something on his "honey-do" list, I will exhibit patience. Patience is a virtue that is learned by trial and error. 

Love Works

I facilitated a Lunch and Learn series at my old job based on the book, "Love Works: Seven Timeless Principles for Effective Leadership" by Joel Manby. The principles in this book are based on the biblical principles of love discussed in 1 Corinthians: patience, kindness, trust, unselfishness, truth, forgiveness, and dedication. For eight weeks, we discussed and brainstormed strategies on how to improve the workplace and implement the principles of Love Works. Each week, it became clearer that I worked in a toxic environment with ineffective leadership that had no desire to let love work. How many of us work and live in toxic environments? How many of us refuse to let love work because of fear? I learned that Love Works when you let it. Love Works when you are willing to do the work. Love Works when you let go of fear and doubt and insecurity. Love works when you trust. Love works when you believe that love truly does cover a multitude of sins. Love works when you let love conquer all.

Domino Effect

Have you ever placed dominos in a row and knocked them down? The result is a domino effect or a chain reaction which causes one event to set off a chain of similar events. I've always enjoyed watching dominos fall in intricate designs. I could only imagine the patience it took the designer to arrange each piece in a specific location and order to achieve the desired result. There is no room for happenstance. Every placement is deliberate. Every move is calculated. There is no room for error. Imagine your life. Every obstacle and circumstance is strategically placed in a specific order to achieve a predesigned result. Every moment is arranged to cause a chain reaction to propel the next domino into motion. The end result is an intricate design called destiny.